Carrier for practice golf balls



Aug. 4, 1964 M. J. RUDERIAN CARRIER FOR PRACTICE GOLF BALLS Filed Sept. 27. 1962 INVENTOR MAX J. RUDERIAN BY W 7 6' ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,143,265 CARRIER FOR PRACTICE GOLF BALLS Max J. Ruderian, 545 Hanley, Los Angeles 49, Calif. Filed Sept. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 226,648 2 Claims. ((11. 22446) This invention relates generally to accessories for amusement devices, and more particularly to a novel carrier for plastic type golf balls.

Conventional practice golf balls generally comprise hollow plastic spheres provided with several openings in their surfaces. By this construction, the ball itself is extremely light, and the various holes in the surface provide considerable wind friction to slow the ball after it is struck by a golf club. Thus, the ball does not travel too great a distance, and because of its light mass, if it should strike any object, no appreciable damage will result.

As in the case of most spherical objects, however,

it is somewhat awkward to carry a number of these plastic balls about. Carrying the balls in ones pocket is simple but results usually in unsightly bulges and stretching of the clothes. In addition, it is usually necessary to carry a number of tees for use with the balls.

With the above in mind, it it a primary object of this invention to provide a novel carrier for plastic balls, particularly practice type golf balls.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a carrier for plastic golf balls in which at least five or six balls may readily be carried about and in which a part of the carrier serves as a tee so that when the tee is separated from the carrier for use, the balls are free to be removed from the carrier.

Still another important object is to provide a carrier meeting the foregoing objects which may be very economically manufactured.

Briefly, these and other objects and advantages of this invention are attained by providing an elongated member preferably in the form of a rod adapted to be passed through substantially diametrically opposite openings in the practice golf balls. At least one end of this rod is adapted to be temporarily secured within a base member. The base member itself includes an upper portion having a concave surface for centrally receiving the rod and serving as a tee when the rod is separated from the base.

With the foregoing arrangement, one end of the rod may be inserted in the base member and the balls threaded thereover, the base member serving as a support for the rod with the rod extending generally vertically. The other end of the rod may then be closed by a top tee structure similar to the base. It is then a simple matter to remove the base or top and slide the balls as required from the rod.

A second embodiment of the invention contemplates an inverted U-shaped rod member in which the ends of the legs of the U terminate in base members. With this arrangement, many additional balls may be carried, the bridging portion of the U serving as a carrying handle.

A better understanding of the invention will be had by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention in the absence of balls;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the manner in which a plurality of practice type golf balls may be supported thereby;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention; and,

FIGURE 4 is a view showing how part of the carrier may be used as a tee.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the carrier includes an elongated member in the form of a rod 10. The lower end of this rod 10 terminates in a base member 11 which may include a broadened base in the form of a suction cup 12. The upper end of the base 11 includes a concave surface portion 13 having a central opening 14 within which the end of the rod 10 may frictionally be received. With this arrangement, the rod 10 is held in a substantially vertical position, or if the suction cup is placed on a vertical surface, the rod will extend horizontally. An upper member 11 may be provided similar to the base member 11.

Referring to FIGURE 2, there are illustrated a plurality of plastic type practice golf balls 15 threaded onto the rod 10. This threading is accomplished by removing the top member 11' and passing the rod through substantially diametrically opposite openings in the balls 15 such as indicated at 15. The diameter of the rod 10 itself is made smaller than the diameter of the openings 15' so that no problem is encountered in simply threading the balls onto the rod. After the balls are positioned on the rod, the opening 14' in the member 11' may be inserted over the top of the rod in a friction fit.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, there is shown a second embodiment of the invention in which the upper portion of the rod similar to the rod 10 is curved over degrees to define a generally inverted U-shaped member 16. As shown, the inverted U-shaped member includes a first leg 17 terminating in a base member 18 substantially identical to the base member 11 for the embodiment of FIGURE 1. The second leg 19 of the inverted U-shape similarly terminates in a base member 20 substantially identical to the top member 11 of FIGURE 1. These members include central openings as described for the base member 11 of FIGURE 1 for frictionally receiving the ends of the inverted U-shape in a manner such that the same may be readily separated.

As shown, the upper bridge portion of the inverted U-shaped may include a handle 21 for easy carrying of the device.

In the operation of the carrier of FIGURE 3, the base members 18 and 20 may be manually removed and the various balls 22 and 23 threaded on the re spective legs by passing the legs through substantially diametrically opposite openings in the plastic balls. The base members 18 and 20 may then be reinserted on the ends of the inverted U-shaped rod to hold the balls in place and the balls may then be carried about by the handle 21. As in the case of the embodiment of FIG- URE 1, when it is desired to practice golf, the base members 18 and 20 may be removed and used as tees for the balls.

FIGURE 4 illustrates, by way of example, the base member 20 separated for use as a tee for supporting one of the balls 23 preparatory to being hit by a club 24.

From the foregoing description, it will thus be evident that the present invention has provided an extremely simple means for supporting and carrying plastic type practice golf balls. The structure is simple and the base members serve the dual functions of retaining the balls on the rod and serving as an individual tee for the balls.

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for practice golf balls, each of the type constituting a hollow plastic sphere with a plurality of openings passing through its surface, comprising: an elongated rod of diameter smaller than the diameter of said openings in said balls whereby said balls may be threaded onto said rod by passing said rod through substantially diametrically opposite openings in said balls; and separable base members on the ends of said rod, each of said base members having opposite upper and References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Herrick May 8, 1900 Smith Feb. 10, 1914 Moriarity June 8, 1953 Stockwell Apr. 26, 1960 

1. A CARRIER FOR PRACTICE GOLF BALLS, EACH OF THE TYPE CONSTITUTING A HOLLOW PLASTIC SPHERE WITH A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS PASSING THROUGH ITS SURFACE, COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED ROD OF DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID OPENINGS IN SAID BALLS WHEREBY SAID BALLS MAY BE THREADED ONTO SAID ROD BY PASSING SAID ROD THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE OPENINGS IN SAID BALLS; AND SEPARABLE BASE MEMBERS ON THE ENDS OF SAID ROD, EACH OF SAID BASE MEMBERS HAVING OPPOSITE UPPER AND LOWER CONCAVE SURFACES, THE UPPER SURFACES OF SAID BASE MEMBERS INCLUDING CENTRAL OPENINGS INTO WHICH THE ENDS OF SAID ROD EXTEND RESPECTIVELY, SAID UPPER CONCAVE SURFACES FUNCTIONING AS A TEE FOR SAID BALLS WHEN SEPARATED FROM SAID ROD. 